The businessmen demand Colau to recover the BCN of the “ambition and courage” for the big projects

In a clear sign of thaw in their relations, the mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau and the president of Foment del Treball, Josep Sánchez Llibre, have met today at the headquarters of the Catalan employers’ association with other representatives of Economic sectors and they have demanded that the city recover “the positive and enthusiastic spirit” and the “ambition and courage “ that characterized the Catalan capital to promote large projects and that made it attractive worldwide.

After the meeting, which lasted an hour and a half, Colau heard more reproaches than praise, but described it as “profitable and long.” Despite the pandemic, it is a moment, he said, of “great opportunities” and that we must “intensify the dialogue”. He has admitted that there are points of disagreement, such as the ‘superilles’ model, but that does not mean that there may be agreements, such as speeding up a communication plan that helps the visitor to move around the city, he explained. He has promised to have a “constructive dialogue”.

Sánchez Llibre recalled that the participants in the meeting represent around 80% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the city and has insisted on recovering the dialogue to undertake large projects. “Today we have taken another step to recover the issues that refer to institutional relations between the City Council and Foment”, he highlighted. The president of Foment has admitted “great disagreements” as there is an effective participation of the economic sector to calculate the impact of the ‘superilles’ and the “tactical urbanism”, basic elements of the pñolítica d ecolau, which collide head-on with the entrepreneurs. In any case, it has been agreed to create bilateral monitoring commissions on various matters.

The Catalan employers have discussed with Colau a document that they handed over to the mayor, which is a kind of amendment to the entirety. They require you from improve citizen security policiesa to regain the leadership of Barcelona as touristic city, with support for initiatives such as the location in the Catalan capital of an extension of the museum Hermitage, the bet of a multimodal transport offer that includes ‘carsharing’ or vehicles with driver (VTC) or the temporary postponement of the application of the low emission zones for the freight and passenger transport.

In addition to defending that the Commerce be placed “in the center” of municipal decisions and a mobility with a “wide and competitive offer instead of restricting and hindering certain uses for the benefit of others”, Foment demands the mayor, with whom they sealed the peace at the end of Last October, “a proactive administration”, with “courage and ambition to take on city challenges” and a consensual offensive to promote the city internationally. In the opinion of the business organization, a “dialogue and participative Barcelona” is necessary.

Foment delivered a document to the mayor with claims and issues that they consider to be priorities for the future, with several thematic areas, ranging from urban planning and tourism to mobility. These are some of the points of the 13-page document:

sightseeing

The city must once again lead the rankings of congress host cities and attract the main business and medical events in the world.

Eradicate illegal economic activities.

Provide Barcelona with a “relevant and internationally recognized” museum project. Foment defends that the location of an extension of the Hermitage cannot be lost.

Have appropriate transport infrastructures (port, airport, suburbs, etc).

Concern about the rise in taxes on tourist stays.

Urbanism and urban space

A “clear, effective, consensual and useful” urban plan must be proposed.

Strengthen the city center and prevent its desertification.

Recovering the spirit of the ‘Barcelona, ​​posa’t guapa’ campaign.

Decentralization of resources and points of interest.

Lighting plan and improvement of the cleaning and conservation of parks and gardens.

Concern about postponement of relevant projects, such as Paral.lel avenue or Eix Glòries.

living place

Encourage the construction of new homes in public-private collaboration in the metropolitan area.

Adjustment of uses to the real needs of the tertiary and residential sector.

Encourage the ‘A’ energy rating in the construction license.

Rehabilitation assistance programs aimed at improving the energy efficiency of homes.

Mobility

Jointly define a wide and competitive offer of mobility solutions instead of restricting and hindering certain uses for the benefit of others. There must be a multimodal commitment, combining public transport, micromobility, ‘carsharing’ and the taxi and VTC sectors.

It is essential to review the Via Laietana rehabilitation project and the ‘superilla del Exiample’ project.

Regulate the distribution of goods and promote sustainable and nightly delivery.

Change urban regulations so that car parks are ‘mini-hubs’ for distribution and proximity.

Temporary postponement of low-emission zones

Exempt from the low-emission zone the transport of goods and travelers as long as there are no vehicles with a technology guaranteed by the administration and granting of financial aid.

Increase bus stations, with locations in Plaza Espanya, Francesc Macià and Sagrera.

Commerce

Moratorium and suppression of tactical urban planning measures and ‘superilles’ until there is consensus with the affected economic sectors.

“Forceful” action plan “to reverse the current number of robberies.”

Avoid the occupation of public space for illegal sale.

Security

Combat the feeling of insecurity in the city and the City Council’s active position in fighting against the recurrence of shoplifting.

Enforce the rules and public space.

Eradicate all illegal economic activities.

Environment

Defense of compatibility between the expansion of the airport and respect for the environment.

Promote the implementation of renewable energies.

Water

Defend the Barcelona public-private water management model.

Promote the reuse of wastewater.

Acceleration of investments in sanitation.

That the City Council sign the social pact promoted by Aigües de Barcelona for vulnerable people.

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Suppress charges and taxes from the receipt not related to the water cycle.

Recover a multi-year rate system.